Wednesday Fulham Stuff (23/06/10)...

[WhiteJC]

http://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premiership/shes-fulham-shes-fabulous-shes-georgie-thompson?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TransferTavern+%28The+Transfer+Tavern+Home+Page%29
SHE'S FULHAM, SHE'S FABULOUS, SHE'S GEORGIE THOMPSON!

Georgie Thompson, the UK's most glamorous sports TV presenter and Fulham fan has teamed up with Gallo Family Vineyards, producers of the nation's favourite rosé.

The partnership will make footie fabulous this summer by combining Georgie's in-depth football knowledge and enviable style with Gallo's fruity and delicious rosé in a campaign to help women enjoy a summer of footie.

As part of the campaign, Georgie will be sharing her party, beauty and style tips online at www.gallorose.co.uk. She will also be recommending her favourite stylish bars to enjoy the football in this summer, as well as her tips on how to mix the perfect, must-have cocktail of the summer, the Gallo Rosito.

The campaign launches with a series of stunning photographs of Georgie. The most iconic features her in a couture gown made from over one hundred vintage football shirts.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202514
Fulham - Zamora Fresh Deal!
After reporting that Birmingham were about to revive their interest in Bobby Zamora, more news has come to our attention today.

It would appear that although Birmingham are willing to pay Bobby something along the lines of £50,000 a week, our top scorer from last season, is more than willing to stay at Craven Cottage.

Booby is willing to snub Birmingham`s offer in order to continue to ply his trade on the banks of the River Thames and talks are rumoured to be well under way to tie Bobby down to a new contract.

It`s even being suggested that Bobby is prepared to stay at Fulham even if (Sir) Roy leaves for pastures new, those new pastures being either Anfield or Soho Square!

Altogether now - for he`s a jolly good fellow, for he`s a jolly good fellow.................... and so say all of us!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202514#ixzz0reDZD4ta

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202513
Fulham - A Good Vibe or Two!
Could the possible appointment of Roy Hodgson, at Liverpool, have other ramifications?

Rumours, on some news sources, seem to indicate that the possible appointment of Roy could be bad news for Kenny Dalglish.

The Scotsman, charged with finding a successor to Rafael Benitez, could be in a no-win situation with it being reported that he`d like to take the job on and he also believes that he could do a better job than Roy.

Now if that is the case, it puts, according to the rumour, Dalglish in an untenable position and could see the Scot sever his ties with Liverpool.

Yet more evidence that although the media would have you believe otherwise, perhaps Roy isn`t the man destined for the Liverpool hot-seat.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202513#ixzz0reDxHRqO

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202512
Best Early Fulham Performer in the World Cup!
Sometime ago, we posed a poll question relating to those Fulham players representing their countries in South Africa 2010.

With the tournament having witnessed the opening round of matches, we wanted to know which Fulham player had impressed you the most.

Was it Etuhu in the Nigerian midfield?

Was it Dikgacoi starring for the host nation?

Was it Pantsil trotting round the stadium brandishing a Ghana flag?

Was it the destroyer of Robert Green`s England career, Clint Dempsey?

Or was it Schwarzer starring between the posts for Australia?

Putting you out of your misery, here are the results:

Dempsey - 57%

Dikgacoi - 20%

Pantsil - 9%

Schwarzer - 7%

Etuhu - 7%

Clint Dempsey is thereby confirmed as top dog.

It`ll be interesting to run a poll along similar lines once all our players have seen there tournament concluded; would it not?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202512#ixzz0reEHsHRo

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202511
Fulham - Gilberto Linked?
Sifting through various news threads late last night, it was interesting to see that Sky Sports were suggesting we were amongst a host of clubs that were possibly looking at bringing the Brazilian Gilberto Silva back to English football.

Gilberto, formerly of Arsenal but now playing for the Greek side Panathinikos, has expressed a desire to return to the Premier League.

At thirty-three years of age you`d have to question whether he`d have much of a long term future in our top flight but our apparent interest signifies just how far we`ve come as a club.

Our appearance in the Europa League Final has put Fulham on the map and it warms the heart to see us mentioned in the same sentence as Liverpool, several La Liga clubs and several Serie A clubs.

We`re not sure if Gilberto Silva will ever pull on the white shirt of our club but the mere fact were mentioned as being interest gives you a warm feeling!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202511#ixzz0reEdGh2g

[WhiteJC]

http://www.birmingham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202522
Zamora To Snub Birmingham?

Fulham striker Bobby Zamora is set to snub any advances from Birmingham City in favour of staying at Craven Cottage reports say today.

There have been rumours that Alex McLeish was ready to step in with an offer for Zamora while there was unrest over Roy Hodgson at the club.

But the 29 year old is set to turn his back on a move which was supposed to have a £50,000 a week wage to go with it.

Meanwhile, McLeish is still interested in defender Paul Konchesky who is also a target for West Ham.

Read more: http://www.birmingham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=202522#ixzz0reF1S5tz

[WhiteJC]

http://tomkinstimes.com/2010/06/does-roy-hodgson-have-the-credentials/
Does Roy Hodgson Have The Credentials?

Judging which managers are suitable for a big club is fraught with perils, especially if those in question have never held such a position before. Ultimately, those who've gone on to succeed at major clubs have had to have been given that initial chance first. But these days, it takes a brave chairman to appoint someone previously untested in a high-pressure position.

Ultimately, managers can only be judged by the possibilities and limitations of the clubs they've managed, within the context of the strength of the league and, in particular, against those rivals with shared aims.

However, to me it seems that there are clearly those suited to smaller jobs, who achieve great things with certain approaches, but whose methods don't transfer to bigger clubs, where expectations are higher and demands are placed on at least some 'style' to the play (case in point: Sam Allardyce from Bolton to Newcastle).

My choice, as outlined here, would be Manuel Pellegrini, because of the reasons outlined in the piece. But where does Roy Hodgson – the current bookies' favourite – fit in?

Background

Hodgson made his name in Scandinavia in 1977, taking Halmstads, who'd just finished 12th (out of only 14 teams) to the Swedish title in his first season. Over the course of the next four seasons he finished 8th on three occasions, and champions one further time.

His success here, and in several later jobs, was largely down to converting the team from the traditional German-style man-marking and libero system, to a pressing, 4-4-2 formation where players marked zonally in open play. These are now very much current trends.

This led to a move to England, and Bristol City. He took charge after two years as assistant to Bob Houghton, but lasted just 20 games the hot seat, winning only three of them. So it was back to Sweden, and stints at Örebro (where he won the 2nd Division North) and giants Malmö, where he topped the 1985 championship in his debut campaign – and indeed, wrapped up the league in the next four seasons, too. However, a play-off system meant that, despite topping the table in each of his five seasons, only twice were Malmö recorded as actual Champions.

These were Malmö's best years, and only once in the two decades since Hodgson left have they won the Swedish title.

Next up was Neuchâtel Xamax, in the Swiss league. Domestically they did okay – nothing remarkable – but a 5-1 Uefa Cup thrashing of Celtic and victory over Real Madrid showed an ability to humble bigger names.

This led to Hodgson taking over as manager of the Swiss national team in January 1992; taking charge of a country that hadn't qualified for the World Cup since 1966, and wasn't exactly blessed with bundles of top talent. But Hodgson ended that 28-year wait. The Swiss finished in 2nd place, ahead of Portugal and Scotland to qualify for USA '94, and just a point behind the tournament's eventual runners-up, Italy.

In the States, a draw with the host nation and a 4-1 thumping of eventual quarter-finalists Romania, saw the Swiss through to the last 16, where Spain turned them over, 3-0.

Qualification for Euro 96 was secured by topping a group that included Turkey, Hungary, and World Cup semi-finalists Sweden. At one point, quite incredibly, they were ranked 3rd in the world. This all led to Hodgson being offered the Inter Milan job, which he took in 1995.

The Milan giants had finished runners-up in 1993, but 13th a year later, and 6th the season before they installed their new English manager. Hodgson himself would lead the Italians to 7th and 3rd place finishes.

He did however take Inter to the 1997 Uefa Cup Final; as would be the case 13 years later, his side lost, although in this instance they were the more favoured outfit. Schalke won the first-leg 1-0, although Inter had been denied three of their best players through suspension, and others were sick with flu. The return saw Inter win 1-0, but not for the first time, a German side won the penalty shootout.

This wasn't good enough for Inter's fans, who pelted Hodgson with coins and lighters, causing him to resign – even though they were on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League. But Massimo Moratti, the man who recently gave Rafa Benítez his latest job in football, liked Hodgson enough to twice ask him to return, briefly, in a caretaker capacity.

Next up was Blackburn, which was fairly disastrous (more on which later).

Then it was back to Switzerland, this time to manage (ahh) Grasshopper for a season. This time, in contrast to his early career, titles arrived both before and after his time in charge. So it was back to Scandinavia – this time Denmark – to take charge of Copenhagen. The Danes, who had finished 7th and 8th prior to his arrival, won the title in his sole season.

In 2001, he left Copenhagen to move to Serie A side Udinese. Despite a successful start, he was sacked just six months into the job, after apparently making comments about regretting his decision to move there.

Between 2002 and 2004 he took charge of United Arab Emirates, but it was an unhappy experience, with a poor showing at the 2003 Gulf Cup. The Englishman was philosophical. "That was a period where I didn't know where my career was going. But all these experiences enrich you."

Repeating a theme, he returned to Scandinavia yet again, this time managing Norwegian side Viking. He took them from the relegation zone to mid-table, then 5th a year later. They qualified for the Uefa Cup, and enjoyed a famous victory (by Viking standards) against Monaco.

The Scandinavian set was complete when he switched to Finland, to boss their national side for their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. He did fairly well, and they were reasonably close to an unlikely qualification, although 0-0 draws were the most common result.

And finally, Fulham, in December 2007. A poor start to his time in London was forgotten when the Cottagers improved in the spring of 2008, and pulled out a remarkable final-day relegation escape.

This impetus was taken into the next season, with an excellent 7th-placed finish, and finally there was the season just gone, when their league form slipped a little (although they still managed to beat Man United 3-0 and Liverpool 3-1 at Craven Cottage), but which was easily offset by a superb run to the Uefa Cup Final. They ended up empty-handed, but Hodgson was voted the 2010 LMA Manager of the Year by a record margin.

Present

So, all in all a mixed record – as you'd expect from three decades in the game at clubs of different stature – but enough highlights to suggest he has something. Hodgson is clearly a fine manager. But is he an outstanding one? And can Liverpool currently attract anyone from the top bracket?

I've heard it said that Hodgson is not suitable for the Liverpool job because of his 39% win ratio with Fulham. The question should be, what is a realistic win percentage for a club like that? Surely not better than 39%?

(For comparison, Graeme Souness won 41% of his league games at Liverpool, obviously on a far greater budget: he had the country's most expensive squad at the time. Rafa Benítez won 55% of his league games.)

More worrying is that Hodgson's win percentage at Inter Milan was just 44%, and at Blackburn 35%. Over 148 games, that's not very encouraging.

People spoke a lot about the games Liverpool drew in 2008/09, but 66% of league games were won that season. Hodgson's record at Inter, as at other clubs, shows a lot of drawn games. When they finished 3rd, they won only one more game (15) than they drew.

So, what can be read into the last time Hodgson managed an English club with fairly high expectations: Blackburn? As it was 13 years ago, it's fair to suggest that he will have learned plenty in the interim. Even so, it's a worrying blot on his copybook.

Blackburn were champions only two years before Hodgson pitched up, although it's fair to say that the club had fallen quite far in that short space of time, following Kenny Dalglish's departure from the dugout; they'd just finished 13th in 1997.

Even so, with Hodgson in charge, they were still spending heavily in the transfer market, if not quite as lavishly as in the early '90s.

Using TPI, Blackburn still had the 3rd most expensive average XI in 1997/98, when they finished 6th, and the 5th most expensive average XI a year later, when the club were relegated, upon finishing 19th. (By that stage, Hodgson had long-since been sacked; he got his marching orders in mid-November, when they sat bottom of the table, with just two wins in 14 games.)

So, in his time at Blackburn his XI was, on average, the 4th most expensive in the land; in other words, identical to Liverpool's average XI in 2009/10.

However, in his one full season, Blackburn's average XI cost 87% of the most expensive average XI (Kenny Dalglish's Newcastle), and only a fraction behind champions, Arsenal, whose figure was 93%. This dwarfs the current Liverpool squad.

The average cost of every starting XI fielded by Benítez last season was, at 48.5%, less than half that of top-spenders, Chelsea. (Manchester United's XI was 76.30% of Chelsea's, and Manchester City's was 66.80%. As an additional point, the Liverpool team that finished as runners-up in 2009 cost 57.9% of the most-expensive side – Chelsea – so it's clear to see a fairly significant drop in the intervening 12 months.)

In other words, Hodgson's Blackburn were far closer to the big spenders of their day than the current Liverpool set-up, and it's a gap that looks set to widen. And the pressure and expectation at Blackburn was nothing compared with what you get at Liverpool (although even with money, it's only fair to point out that Blackburn were never going to attract the real elite of world football to Ewood Park once they found themselves a mid-table outfit, in 1997).

Even though he had money to spend, and even allowing for the fact that his club lacked the glamour to lure the leading lights, Hodgon's record in the market was not at all impressive.

He paid £7.5m on Kevin Davies – or £17m in today's money (calculated using TPI). You could argue that Davies is still a 'successful' Premier League player (albeit in his own inimitable barrel-chested style), 12 years on. But '£17m' doesn't read well for a player who scored only one league goal in his year at Ewood Park, and who ended up being swapped for the unremarkable, low-valued Egil Ostenstad.

In just 16 months, Hodgson's gross outlay, in today's terms, would work out at around £75m.

Of these, only Stephen Henchoz, at £3m (£10,128,237), and later sold to Liverpool where he further enhanced his reputation, stands out as an abiding success; in stark contrast to the horribly mediocre Christian Daily, who cost £5.35m (£12,982,782).

Anders Andersson, with just four games in two years, and Martin Dahlin, with just four goals in 27 games, were both clear flops. Swedish internationals, the pair (who combined cost approximately £10m in today's money) weren't without pedigree, but they didn't succeed. Tore Pedersen, another from Hodgson's beloved Scandinavia, played just five games for Rovers.

It gets worse. Nathan Blake, a striker who barely scored, was another flop. Blake's fee – £4.25m – would in today's terms equate to £10,410,721.

Finally, Callum Davidson was decent if unspectacular: £1.75m working out at £5,908,138 in 2010. Blackburn at the time were a richer, more successful club than his current employers, Fulham, but his signings seem awfully mid-table – if that.

By contrast, his story at Fulham is, to date, one of success. In 2008/09 they had the 13th-most expensive average XI, and finished 7th, to take them into Europe. Last season they had the 14th-most expensive average XI, and finished 12th, with a great cup run thrown in.

And it's been achieved with far better signings than he bought for Blackburn.

My one nagging doubt, however, is that yet again he's often gone for the market he knows best: Scandinavia and Switzerland. This is natural; after all, Wenger plundered France, Benítez Spain. But even though you get the occasional excellent player from the Nordic region, real quality from these parts of the world is rare. At Fulham that's not a problem, but would he have the imagination in the transfer market to bring better than mere journeymen to Anfield?

At Blackburn, the fans expected him to raid Serie A; they got nothing of the sort. And while fans' desires for glamour signings just for the sake of them are to be avoided, the ability to spot and snaffle top-class talent is a skill. (For all Benítez's mistakes in the transfer market, with Reina, Torres, Alonso, Mascherano and Agger in particular, he signed players for fees in the same prince-range, taking inflation into account, as Hodgson bought at Blackburn. This is before getting onto the likes of Benayoun, Skrtel, Kuyt, Garcia, Crouch, Sissoko, Johnson, Maxi, et al.)

His one major signing at Fulham, Andy Johnson, has delivered little for his £10.5m fee. But perversely, the lesser-rated Bobby Zamora, at £5.8m, has been little less than a revelation. Hodgson deserves great credit for the improvement in his game.

Another major success has been Brede Hangeland, the giant Norwegian centre-back having previously played under Hodgson at Viking. He's the manager's one signing during his four years in English football who wouldn't look out of place in the Liverpool side.

But other Scandinavians have arrived, to far less impact. Leon Andreasen cost £2m, but was sold after just one season. Swedish international Fredrik Stoor, also £2m, joined from Rosenborg, but ended up on loan at Derby. Norwegian striker Erik Neveland, at just under £2m, has been a useful addition. Another decent £2m acquisition was John Arne Riise's brother, Bjorn Helge.

But his signings from other Premier League clubs have been much better. Mark Schwarzer, on a free: good signing. Dixon Etuhu, £1.5m: good signing. Zoltan Gera, free transfer: very good signing. Damien Duff, £4m: another good signing. And John Paintsil, £500,000: also a good signing.

Those who mock his recent procurement of Philippe Senderos for Fulham are missing the point; at 25, and yet to reach his peak as a centre-back, he seems well-suited to that level of club. And in fairness, that's what Hodgson has done well at Fulham.

Thank you to Richard Allen of The Fulham Review for supplying me with some of the biographical information on Roy Hodgson. This year's review contains a 50-page look at the manager's early career.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/hodgson-vs-dalglish-vs-pellegrini
Hodgson vs Dalglish vs Pellegrini

The Guardian has today reported that Liverpool are keen to sign Roy Hodgson before tomorrow's crucial game with Slovenia. It is thought that the current Fulham boss would much rather wait until the outcome of the Slovenia match because it would no doubt mean a vacant manager position for the national team; a position he is rumoured to be a strong candidate for should the worst befall our nation's World Cup hopes.

Whilst Kenny Dalglish was said to be working alongside managing director Christian Purslow in the search for Benitez's successor, the Scot had made it known that he would take the job due to what he believes is a lack of quality or feasible replacements. With King Kenny seemingly overlooked for the much debated hot-seat at Anfield it raises a couple of interesting questions. The first is who should be considered the stronger contender between the much fancied Hodgson and the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini? The second question, equally perturbing for Liverpool fans, is whether Dalglish would reconsider his future based on the impending appointment?

It should be made clear that keeping Kenny Dalglish very much a part of Liverpool Football Club is a must. Not only is he an ambassador who has intimate knowledge of the workings of the club, he was also appointed as chief overseer of the revamped youth academy before Benitez's departure. The knowledge he can offer is far more substantial than etiquette and tradition; he knows the players, the emerging players in particular, and has seen their development from early last year until present.

Hodgson's record is well known in this country but I still feel the merits of Pellegrini to be severely undervalued by bookies and fans alike. The Chilean took Villarreal to record high finishes of 2nd and 3rd in his five year tenure at the club and brought them Champions League football for the first time in their history (semi final appearance against Arsenal in 2005/06). Even his year long stint at Real Madrid led to a record number of points and only narrowly losing out on the title to Barcelona. The question is whether a second place finish and Champions League semi final is enough to warrant the Liverpool job, especially for fans wanting the best possible replacement. But Pellegrini managed success in Villarreal without an intimidating budget or squad. Furthermore, his passing style is heavily oriented on the team ethic and, as a personality, he is a manager who dispels controversy and shuns the limelight. Though he has proven to get the best out of relatively unfancied players (Diego Forlan won the Golden Boot whilst at Villarreal after indifferently leaving English shores), the constant scrutiny surrounding Anfield may prove too much for any manager over a short period of time. Conversely, the club's current state coupled with the emergence of Tottenham, Manchester City (and certainly Everton) may provide the exact kind of calmed expectation that would facilitate the rebuilding of Liverpool.

Whilst neither Hodgson nor Pellegrini are spectacular names, their success at building something under their own vision and utilising the talent at their disposal cannot be questioned. These are exactly the type of qualities that are needed at Liverpool to marshal them through a transition period which may well see the departure of one or two big names. An added dimension to the narrative is Dalglish who, despite being an outsider for the manager's position according to the morning reports, is still a vital member of the Liverpool backroom and indispensable for his experience at the club.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/liverpool-hope-agree-terms-fulham-boss-hodgson-england-kickoff-today-926281?
Liverpool hope to agree terms with Fulham boss Hodgson before England kickoff today

Liverpool are aiming for agreement with Fulham boss Roy Hodgson in the next 24 hours.

The Guardian says Liverpool hope to agree a deal with Hodgson to become their new manager before England's make-or-break game against Slovenia tomorrow, despite concerns the appointment will prompt Kenny Dalglish to reconsider his future at the club.

Anfield officials had been confident of appointing the Fulham manager as successor to Rafael Benítez by the end of this week, only for the uncertainty over Fabio Capello's position should England fail to qualify from their World Cup group to hasten their approach. Hodgson is considered a strong candidate for the England job should Capello quit.

Mindful of a potential rival for their first choice to replace Benítez, the Liverpool board is now looking to secure an agreement from Hodgson before England's fate in Group C is determined. The 62-year-old is well aware of Liverpool's interest and his likely transfer budget at Anfield but may prefer to delay a decision on his future until after the game in Port Elizabeth.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6220726,00.html?
Battle on for Pompey starlet
Belgian youngster set for Premier move

A host of Premier League clubs are battling to sign Portsmouth youngster Florent Cuvelier, skysports.com understands.

The 17-year-old midfielder has one-year left on his current deal at Fratton Park - but he has made it clear he wants to leave.

The Belgian Under 19 international was withdrawn from Portsmouth training earlier in the year as his father became disillusioned with what was happening at the Premier League club.

Relegation has since followed, and although the player has resolved his differences with the club - he is now set for a swift return to the top-flight.

It is understood the likes of Manchester City,Tottenham, Fulham and Stoke are all ready to make him an offer.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.clubcall.com/birmingham-city/duo-fight-for-midfielder-1-1072190.html?
Duo fight for midfielder
Birmingham City, 09:43, June 23, 2010

Birmingham and Fulham are set to go head to head again for the services of Ivory Coast midfielder Cheik Tiote.

The 24-year-old is thought to have been on the radar of both clubs before his impressive showing in the World Cup as he had a productive season with FC Twente in Holland winning the Dutch title.

Both Blues boss Alex McLeish and Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson are said to be ready to offer Twente around £4m for the player.

It is not the first time the two clubs have clashed over transfers during the close season as Blues still harbour hopes of landing Fulham pair Bobby Zamora and Paul Konchesky but the west London club are less than keen on a deal.

[WhiteJC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_38
USA v Algeria

Venue: Pretoria
Date: Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Kick-off: 15:00 BST

TEAM NEWS
The USA will be forced into a change, with forward Robbie Findley suspended for picking up two bookings. Clint Dempsey could play in an advanced role, as he did in the second half against Slovenia, with Benny Feilhaber coming into midfield.

Jose Torres, who was substituted at half time of that game, is expected to be dropped in favour of Ricardo Clark or Maurice Edu.

Algeria's first-choice goalkeeper, Faouzi Chaouchi, has recovered from a knee injury, but Rais M'Bolhi may keep his place after playing his part in the nation's first clean sheet in a World Cup finals. Forward Abdelkader Ghezzal is available after serving a one-match ban.

MATCH PREVIEW
Algerian-American relations have generally been cordial over the years, but co-operation is not an option in Pretoria. Only one of these nations can progress to the last 16, and both could yet miss out.

If there is unity between the sides, it is through a shared sense of injustice. The USA would be top of the group if it hadn't been for the mystifying decision to disallow the goal that would have clinched a comeback win against Slovenia.

Algeria's frustration goes back to the 1982 World Cup, when they were infamously eliminated on goal difference after West Germany and Austria contrived a result that allowed them both to progress. The non-aggression pact of Gijon prompted the ruling that all final group games must be played simultaneously.

Algeria must win to have a chance of reaching the knock-out stage for the first time. They then either need England to fail to win, or alternatively an England victory coupled with a two-goal swing for Algeria over Slovenia.

The USA will qualify if they win, while a draw could be enough provided England fail to beat Slovenia.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
-This is the first meeting of these two countries at any level.

USA
- Their only World Cup match against an African side ended with a 2-1 defeat by Ghana in 2006.
- They have gone 12 consecutive matches without keeping a clean sheet.
- The USA have lost their final group match at each of their six World Cups from 1950 onwards.
- Steve Cherundolo and Jay DeMerit will earn a one-match ban if booked.

Algeria
- Algeria have lost their only two previous meetings against north and central American opposition: they were beaten 1-0 by Cuba in 1974 and 2-0 by Mexico in 1985.
- The goalless draw with England was Algeria's first clean sheet, at the eighth attempt in a World Cup finals.
- They have failed to score in six of their last seven matches. Their only win - and goal - during that run came courtesy of a Karim Ziani penalty against the United Arab Emirates earlier this month.
- Hassan Yebda and Medhi Lacen are one booking from a ban.

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Frank de Bleeckere (Belgium)
Assistants: Peter Hermans (Belgium) & Walter Vromans (Belgium)
Fourth official: Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1255678/index.html?cid=rssfeed&att=
Schwarzer in the mood for more

Australia's longest-serving goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer, says the Socceroos still believe they can achieve an against-the-odds qualification for the Round of 16. Pim Verbeek's side crashed to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Germany in their Group D opener, but according to Schwarzer, the team spirit remains as strong as ever after their resilient 1-1 draw against Ghana, a result achieved despite playing a man short for 65 minutes.

Australia must defeat Serbia in Nelspruit today and rely either on a Ghana victory against Germany, or conversely a heavy win by the Germans. Schwarzer told FIFA.com: "The mood is definitely there, we can continue and go on against Serbia and get the result we need. It was very disappointing against Germany, the result, and more so the performance if anything. Against Ghana we were a lot better, we knew that we needed to lift our game and the performance was more like us. With 11 men on the pitch I think we would have won the game, and won it comfortably."

Should the Socceroos fail to repeat their success of Germany 2006 when they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by eventual champions Italy, then the somewhat unlikely setting of the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit could be the venue where Schwarzer's FIFA World Cup™ story finally comes to a close. From his history-making penalty stops against Uruguay in 2005, to the devastation of that heavy defeat by Germany last week in Durban, Schwarzer's career has been intertwined with the competition.

The mood is definitely there, we can continue and go on against Serbia and get the result we need.
Mark Schwarzer, Australia goalkeeper

Indeed his glittering 17-year international career, by far the longest of any player in Socceroo history, began with a FIFA World Cup assignment in the equally improbable setting of the Canadian city of Edmonton. Schwarzer, at just 21, was thrust into the white-hot heat of a qualifying play-off, entering the fray in the first half after the dismissal of first-choice goalkeeper Robert Zabica. A fortnight later in his hometown of Sydney, Schwarzer made his full debut, ending the match with two stops in a penalty shoot-out victory against Canada as Australia advanced to the final stage of qualifying, and an ultimately unsuccessful meeting with the Diego Maradona-led Argentina.


Almost two decades on and Schwarzer, despite his 37 years, intimated to FIFA.com in April that he has no plans of retirement and that he wants to continue to "represent my country and play at the highest level as long as possible". His form in Fulham's historic run to the UEFA Europa League final in May belied his age and, with 75 caps – the most of any among the current squad – he is fast closing in on the 87-match record held by former Socceroos skipper and defender Alex Tobin. Yet if the AFC Asian Cup looms on the horizon next January, an appearance at Brazil 2014 seems unlikely at best.

Back to the here and now and Australia have no option but to go for three points against Serbia. Their strong-willed display against Ghana showed the traditional Socceroo spirit remains intact, despite the setback against Germany. "Without a doubt" was Schwarzer's unequivocal response when asked if the team had shown their true character after their disappointing opening display. "Everyone was 100 per cent behind each other [against Ghana] and we worked all week with getting things right on the football pitch and making sure we stick together and stayed focused on the game. We take a lot from the game. We played [66] minutes with ten men against a side like Ghana who were desperately trying to win to make their passage safe, yet if anything we probably created the more dangerous chances and disappointed in the end we only came away with a 1-1. [There was] bitter disappointment that we didn't win the match."

[Lighthouse]

Fulham are moving for Italian youngster Mario Ramaglia.

The Cottagers have offered the 21 year-old striker trials later this summer in preseason.

Ramaglia is contracted to Scafatese, which play in the Lega Pro - 2nd division.

[FatFreddysCat]

Fulham are moving for Italian youngster Mario Ramaglia.

The Cottagers have offered the 21 year-old striker trials later this summer in preseason.

Ramaglia is contracted to Scafatese, which play in the Lega Pro - 2nd division.

Not a pop at Roy, but if i was a 21 year old looking for a new club, Fulham would beway down the list in clubs i would choose. Roys done terrific, but i'd love to see a few young uns get a chance.